Social Media – The Modern Face Of Recruitment

I am sure that many employers, jobseekers and recruitment specialists would agree that modern recruitment is very different now to how it looked 10, 20 or 30 years ago. Prior to the World Wide Web, jobs were advertised predominantly in newspapers, trade magazines and through recruiters and job centres. That’s how I got my first job in 1987: I bought a travel trade magazine, saw a standard advertisement by a specialist recruiter and rang them. I went to see them to register and was advised that their biggest client was recruiting a junior – one week later I had been for an interview and offered the job! Easy!

You can read the full article below, or listen to the audio version, which also includes a new tool and an exciting feature that has just been launched on Facebook.

If I was being modest I would say that I had experienced beginner’s luck, but in reality it was about knowing the right tools to get me access to the type of role I was looking for and using those tools to work for me.

That philosophy has not changed since the 80’s and we are luckier now than we have ever been as we have considerably more tools available to us delivering an ever-increasing level of access to employment opportunities – whether you are an employer, a jobseeker or a recruitment specialist.

Many recruiters will argue that modern technology does more to negate their existence than it does to benefit, believing that it is easier than ever for employers to have direct access to candidates and for jobseekers to have direct access to opportunities – this I wholeheartedly disagree with. The benefits of a specialist recruitment service for both candidates and clients is essentially the same today as it was in the 80’s albeit supported by a paradigm shift in technology.

The principle of job hunting is unchanged. You have to stay on top of the opportunities that social media and other technology offers. You need to take the time and commitment to find your ideal role. Social media is your biggest ally and often your cheapest search method (usually free unless you are a business!) and a very effective way of marketing yourself so it really does make sense to utilise as much as you can.

Your first and obvious choice is LinkedIn: If you are an employer, this is a key platform to market yourself to potential employees supplemented by a good careers page on your company website. Like any good website it shouldn’t just have a ‘brochure’ appearance. LinkedIn is the key business social media platform so it makes sense that you have a profile, it looks the part, is attractive to the talent you desire and is interactive. If you don’t yet believe it’s a great tool to find candidates then take a good look at your competitors.

You don’t have to be a jobseeker to have a personal LinkedIn profile – anyone who is serious about career progression and development should have one, regardless of personal preference.

If you are a jobseeker this is a key window of opportunity and if you are happily employed and interested in improving your network then this is a great tool. LinkedIn is the key recruitment social media platform therefore it makes sense for you to invest time to look ‘attractive’ both as a professional as well as a possible candidate. All recruiters now use this platform to headhunt you and potential employers/line managers will use it to profile you.

Many are of the opinion that the ‘death of the CV’ is imminent and that social media is the future of candidate profiling…. You might have a different view but I personally wouldn’t want to ignore that prediction for too long.

Specialist recruiters run the risk of being left behind without an effective LinkedIn profile. This will be viewed by candidates and clients alike and as with your own website initial impression will be made on how you portray your business.

So why would you not want to look the part? It surely makes sense to invest and give your business a great profile on the biggest social media platform within your trade?

As we all become more reliant on mobile technology so it is the case that more web browsing is done on mobile phones and tablets than on PCs and laptops. Mobile technology is a major tool for jobseekers and there is currently a great deal of emphasis on mobile-friendly websites, email and e-shots.

Given that 8 out of 10 phones now sold in the UK are smartphones I think it’s pretty clear that if you don’t pay attention to this area then your website and e-marketing are not maximising their potential.

However, no matter how technology progresses I am a firm believer in the oldest and most traditional recruitment method in the book so often in the world of employment it is a case of ‘it’s not what you know it’s who you know’…. So get out and about, pick up the phone and network! Meet people!

Whether you are an employer, a job seeker or a specialist recruiter this is a tried and tested and never-likely-to-be-outdated method of building a reliable network that is of benefit to both you and your business – don’t just hide behind a screen!

This worked for me as a jobseeker over 25 years ago – I picked up the phone, rang an agency and got myself a face to face appointment. That landed me my first job. Employ the same approach with the advantage of an effective social media presence and you significantly increase your likelihood of success.

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If you are working in the world of recruitment then you can no longer ignore social media. We now live in a candidate led world and therefore it is more important than ever to tap into those passive candidates. But, becoming confident in social media activity and language does not happen overnight. It takes time to build an audience before you can even think about conversions.

Green Umbrella Marketing have put together a daily task list for recruiters and recruitment business owners to help you source and nurture potential clients and passive candidates.